DLP/LCD Projection TV Picture Problems

Lamp Problems:

Most problems on these TV's are due to lamp problems. For brand-specific help, just click the appropriate link for your Hitachi, JVC, Mitsubishi, Sony, or Toshiba TV.

General lamp information:

Projection Lamps are used only in TV's that use LCoS projection, such as Sony SXRD and JVC HD-ILA models, LCD projection, or DLP projection. These are table-top sets of large screen size, usually 46" and up (and one 37" Sony model). Small projector units that display on separate screens also contain projection lamps. Projection lamps can easily be replaced by a customer using nothing more than a screwdriver. If a special tool is required, it comes packaged with the new lamp. We stock most popular projection lamps for sale for the brands we service. There are no replaceable lamps in flat panel TV's (plasma, LCD, and LED TV's), traditional direct view TV's, and the old floor-standing projection TV's.

An OSD (On-Screen Display) is a pattern on the screen that the TV generates internally, like the TV menu you get by using the TV remote (not the satellite or cable TV guide you get using their remote), and the volume display, channel display, input display, etc. If you can see an OSD, the lamp is not bad.

Usually, a dead lamp can be confirmed visually. Each lamp contains a thin glass tube. If this tube is shattered or has a hole melted in it, then it is bad. Often, people watching the set when the lamp fails will hear a "pop." A lamp with a crack, blister, or discoloration in the outer glass envelope may also be bad. Rarely, a lamp will go bad with no visible internal damage. This can only be confirmed by substituting a good lamp.

When a lamp fails to light, the lamp power supply may make a buzzing or arcing noise caused by the excess high voltage being bled off. On sets that restart several times, this buzzing may be heard on each restart. This noise is also a good indication or a bad lamp.

Bad lamps usually fail to light when the set is powered on, but weak lamps can also blank out while the set is running. The set may detect this and attempt to restart the lamp. If the picture and all OSD's go out intermittently, the lamp is the likely culprit.

Hitachi:

TV starts up with a dark screen, no picture, and no OSD. After a few minutes, the LAMP light on the front of the set stays on constantly.

JVC:

TV starts up with a dark screen, no picture, and no OSD. After a few minutes, the blue and orange lights on the front panel blink simultaneously and continuously twice per second.

Mitsubishi:

Symptom 1:
TV starts up with a dark screen, no picture, and no OSD. After a few minutes, the LAMP light will come on in a constant red color.

Symptom 2: (Some models) TV works, but the LAMP lights comes on constant yellow. This is a warning that the lamp has been used for a a certain number of hours and may fail soon. When you replace the lamp, an on-screen message will ask you to reset the lamp timer, so this warning light turns off.

Symptom 3: (Some models) Picture flashes, flickers, and/or changes color. After a few minutes, the set may shutdown. At first, Mitsubishi made lamps with yellow-colored reflectors for these models. They discovered that these could cause a raft of weird symptoms, so they now supply silver-colored lamps. Some aftermarket lamps will also cause this problem. If your set has a yellow-colored lamp, or if you recently replaced the lamp, try an original lamp, purchased directly from Mitsubishi or from us. Even if your replacement lamp came labeled with the original Mitsubishi part number, there is no guarantee that it's a genuine Mitsubishi lamp unless it comes from Mitsubishi.

Symptom 1: The green POWER light flashes once per second (the normal start-up indication), but the screen is dark with no picture and no OSD. The set tries to restart 3 more times, and then the red LAMP light starts blinking.

Symptom 2: The set works OK, but the screen goes dark with no picture or OSD. After a few minutes, the picture comes back on by itself but continues to go on and off by itself. The green POWER light blinks continuously while the picture is out, and there may or may not be sound.

Symptom 3: The set works, but a lamp warning message appears on the screen each time it is turned on.

Toshiba:

The red light on the front panel comes on constant, and the green light blinks 3 times per second (the normal start-up indication), but the screen is dark with no picture and no OSD. The set shuts down and resets itself 8 times. Then, the green and red lights blink simultaneously and continuously once per second.